THE International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR) on Wednesday, November 5, held a one-day sensitisation meeting with journalists and stakeholders in Lagos State on how NativeAI helps newsrooms advance their work.
The meeting held one week after a similar meeting in Abuja.
Addressing participants, The ICIR Executive Director, Dayo Aiyetan, said the tool was meant to save journalists and others the time they spend transcribing their works.
“Journalism today is driven by technology. The NativeAI, built and released a few weeks ago, is an AI-driven tool that enables journalists, newsrooms, and other users to transcribe audio-visual files and translate them.
He added, “This model was developed by The ICIR. We designed a technological solution to deal with practical problems in the newsroom. It’s not just about transcribing interviews, but it’s also about translating them.
“I do hope that this would resonate with newsrooms. Now that we have developed the tool, we are handing it over to newsrooms, journalists, and others who will use it, so that they can have a buy-in. We expect that beyond this room, everyone will take an interest in not just using this app but also sharing it with colleagues, newsrooms, and making them understand how it works.”
In addition to English, the app translates files into three Nigerian languages, namely Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo. The ICIR hopes to expand the translation into other Nigerian and African languages.
In her presentation, The ICIR Programme Officer, Eunice Enoch, described NativeAI as an AI-driven model that reduces one hour of work to five minutes, bridging the gap between sounds and text.
“Because everyone matters, the deaf and people with hearing impairment can be part of every conversation,” she said, adding that language should never be a barrier to their work.
Nigeria is home to over 500 languages, a collection of radiant cultures and voices, yet this richness often creates walls between communities, journalists, and stories, Enoch noted.
She explained that Native AI was born from the challenges faced by newsrooms, researchers, and inclusion advocates, stressing that it was created to make information accessible to all and to streamline newsroom work.
She took participants through a virtual experience on their devices (mobile phones and laptops) to understand how the NativeAI works.
Similarly, The ICIR ICT Officer, Adulazeez Gobir, engaged everyone with hands-on activities, making them record, upload ,and test the outcomes of the model.
Gobir said, “This model generates speech-to-text transcription, instant translation, and live event transcription. It allows you to generate clear, exportable transcripts and translations that fit editorial workflows.”
To use the NativeAI, visit nativeai.icirnigeria.org
How NativeAI works
Step 1: Record or upload: Record or select an audio/video file from your device to begin.
Step 2: Transcribe: NativeAI will automatically transcribe your English audio into text, optimised for Nigerian accents.
Step 3: Translate (optional): Optionally translate into Hausa, Igbo, or Yoruba — preserving tone, context, and cultural expression.
Step 4: Export and Share: Download your final text or copy it directly for use in news articles, reports, and social media publishing.
For developers, to get the API endpoint, send a request via nativeai@icirnigeria.org